only way we could get it to start was to use the throttle and crank it for a bit.
Hi Lpgc,Should be able to meaure voltages on the MAP sensor similarly to measuring voltages on the TPS as Alldodge described. Obviously there's a difference because the MAP sensor should output a voltage pointing to atmospheric pressure in the manifold when the engine isn't running, so you'd check MAP voltages with the engine running at various loads from idle to flat out.
Just some thoughts....
I don't know if these engines / ECUs switch from speed density (using the MAP sensor) to alphaN (using the TPS) if they detect a problem with the Map sensor as a type of limp home mode? If they do they probably won't start or run as well in alphaN mode as when using the map sensor.
During cranking the engine won't make much vacuum.. so during cranking the map sensor should give a signal pointing to close to atmospheric pressure whether the map sensor is installed in the manifold or not (if it's still wired up). The biggest difference removing the map sensor makes during cranking is the hole it leaves in the manifold allowing extra 'false air' to bypass the throttle so extra air gets in leaning the mixture. But then when it does start if the map is wired but not in the manifold it should give a signal pointing to the manifold being at atmospheric pressure when it's really under vacuum so should cause it to run rich... unless the ECU recognises that the signal is incorrect because the engine can't be at full manifold pressure with the throttle closed (which it reads from the TPS).
Was it definitely fuel and not water in cylinders when it locked up? If an engine gets water in cylinders it can soon damage rings and cause low compression.